Injustice: Gods Amongst Us Annual #1

Injustice: Gods Among Us Annual #1
'Contract on Harley Quinn'
2014
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artists: .... a lot

Seeing as how I look to Injustice Harley Quinn as my ever green source of joy in a world consumed with showing me ever-ridiculous Hardly Quinns... I thought it prudent that I review one of my favourite Injustice issues ever. 

No, not this fan pandering piece of shit, an actual good comic!

So it's called the Hunt for Harley Quinn and it opens with-

NO. NO! GOSH PLEASE NO. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

ANYWAY - This is an issue that combines something that the other invading, interloping, incessant..... *ahem* issues don't.

Plot! Consistent art! Good looking art! Character development! ACTUAL HUMOUR! A character that actually seems like Harley Quinn! A special that actually develops the overall story of the series instead of a blatant cash grab! 

Ooh, I'll have to stop there, I'm getting too excited!

Right, so first of all, we get an introduction to Lobo - Th' main man who can be a real bastich to every other fraggin' Cazarnian. However it turns out that it's actually a dream sequence he has before waking up to a therapy session with none other than Harley Quinn!

 I gotta say I love her serious face, intense eyes and the way she makes that black lipstick work.

It's not like you can go past the old 'subjected to talking about feelings' cliche.

After that we flash back to a bit before this happened: a hilarious sequence involving Lobo casually destroying part of the Justice League Watchtower by driving through it.

 Lobo then arrives in the wasted city of Metropolis, where they have to include at least one shot of the Daily Planet or else they break their contract.

He was intending on messing shit up to get Superman's attention but as Superman arrives within nano-seconds he doesn't even have to try. Turns out some one on Apokolips has put a bounty on Superman's head and Lobo's trying to see if he's worth it.

This earns him Superman's evilest stank eye and an almost one way trip into the sun, and ultimately a new job - hunting the Quinn.

Love the sassiness here from Lobo as he derides the lame trophy room, and then trades barbs with Luthor.
Lobo finds Harley fairly easy and discovers just as quick why Superman wants her taken out.

On the way back to certain Supermany doom, Harley and Lobo bond over smart lead lined hiding places, fake moustaches and fascination with floating iridescent pills.

Naturally, Harley steals Lobo's super strength pill and escapes from the bike, smashing through an office building. Terrified bystanders tentatively ask if she's okay to which she intensely replies "Yes." before running off at super speed, cannon-balling through cement walls, and back-flipping across the street through the next building.

This comes to a screeching halt when she comes across Lobo's fist but she gets back into her stride when she lays out how she's come to terms with not having the Joker around but she's decided that no one gets to lay a hand on her ever again.

Everyone knows Batman's Rogues Gallery are punching bags but it takes on another dimension when you remember that this one is a domestic abuse survivor.

 She wails on Lobo and flees the scene. Meanwhile, Black Canary and Green Arrow - the cutest and most colourfully named couple DC has - are wrestling. Well, trying to. Black Canary is super serial but Green Arrow isn't taking it seriously.

I love their banter: Canary berates Arrow for not holding his guard high enough, and he replies that he finds people usually can't punch him high enough after he fires arrows into their shoulders. Touche!

This is of course interrupted by the most epic entrance this side of Catwoman. Harley loses the brakes on her stolen flying motorcycle and leaps off, landing perfectly among the wreckage, her silhouette inspiring awe and shock... and then she comedically asks if this was a bad time!

 When the colourfully named duo realise who it is they ask how she found the Arrow Cave which of course leads them off topic into a discussion about how it should be named the "Quiver".

Harley reveals that while she was locked up in the Quiver/Arrow Cave for her own safety.. she wasn't and actually went on some squirrel sightings.

The penny drops when the colour combo realise just who it is that they know who owns a flying motorcycle.

Right on cue, Lobo bursts in and gets taken out pretty quickly, helped in part when Harley straight up tears his head off.

 This brings us round to the initial therapy scene we were shown at the start. Harley leads Lobo into the realisation that he's wasting his time with small fry like her and that given his dream sequence, he has an internal struggle for control that he needs to find an outlet for..

As in... he needs to aim higher than Harley.

Lobo leaves under his own power and actually thanks Harley when he goes to frag somethin' worth fraggin'.

This impresses Canary and Arrow that their scheme actually worked.

Well, until Harley references Arrow's real name and startles them yet again.

Meanwhile, Lobo stubs out his cigar on Darkseid's ugly face and advises him that th' main man got some things ta' work out.

I love the little touches.. the picture of Harley and Joker on the mantle while Harley watches TV, the fact that Superman is copying Batman's trophy room, Lobo making a good appearance. 

Lobo is a character I was first introduced to in an issue of the Sovereign Seven.